26 Mar 2019

Acting director in the Department of Social Protection, Mr Bathoni Teko, has pleaded with social workers to avoid favouritism when executing their duties.

He said the ministry was concerned that there were some social workers who had to be reminded of the principles and values of their profession when serving clients.

“The department has no reason to doubt your capability and capacity to efficiently and effectively deliver to our valued clients, but it is upon yourselves to make your presence felt” said Mr Teko during the Botswana National Association of Social Workers (BONASW) commemoration day in Maun.

He said the department shared the association’s vision of coming up with a council for social workers which would regulate the registration and operations of social work.

“The department holds the view that the council will reduce if not eliminate any ambiguities that may be existing in the practice of social work in the country,” he said.

Mr Teko informed the gathering that his department had pledged its commitment and support to the ideals pursued by the association. 

Kgosi Oleyo Ledimo urged social workers to unite regardless of where they were working so as to pursue their common agenda.

“In Botswana, social work emerged as an approach in enhancing rural development,” he said, adding that  social workers had borrowed from other professions or social disciplines such as psychology, sociology, economic, statistics, education and health among others to enhance social functioning of individuals, groups and communities.

Kgosi Ledimo said people in rural areas regarded a social worker as a helper, liberator, and advocator of human rights, motivator and life stall provider.

He said issues of gender, youth, disabled and the poor were started and initiated by social workers, adding that had compelled government to design programmes and projects to ameliorate human suffering.

Kgosi Ledimo also called on the government to recognize and appreciate that it was high time social workers specialised in order to provide timely and quality social services for client social upliftment and self-actualization.

In addition, he said “community development was a method of social work and therefore social workers should be shortlisted for posts in community development. It should not be equated to adult education profession but rather community development profession for such posts”.

BONASW vice president, Mr Molatedi Monthe explained that the association is a professional body that regulates social workers in Botswana by ensuring that they adhere to the profession code of conduct and ethics.  ENDS